Pavimenta atque emblemata vermiculata

Regional Styles in Hellenistic Mosaic and the First Mosaics at Pompeii

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4979050
AutoresRuth Westgate (0000-0001-7782-775X, autor correspondente)
Ano2000
Volume104
Fascículo2
Páginas255-275
Data de publicação2000-04-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoAmerican Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0002-9114 • E-ISSN: 1939-828X
EditoraUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2307/507451
OpenAlexW2041164267
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas24
Referências citadas10

Mosaic production in the Hellenistic period can be divided into two broad regional types, eastern and western, on the basis of stylistic and technical differences that are derived from varying local traditions of paving. The characteristics of these schools are outlined, and the earliest mosaics at Pompeii are shown to be derived from the western Greek tradition. However, comparison of the Pompeian floors with contemporary mosaics from Greek sites also reveals a significant difference: the first Pompeian mosaics consist almost exclusively of figured scenes set into relatively plain pavements, whereas in Greek mosaics abstract decoration is much more common, and figural motifs are the exception rather than the rule. These differences reflect a difference in the purpose of mosaics: Pompeian patrons wanted the decoration of their houses to display their familiarity with Greek culture, which encouraged the production of copies and pastiches of Greek art-works, and generic designs in Greek style. The very specific demands of the Pompeian market may have been served by a different process of production: there are signs of a separation between the manufacture of figured panels, which were probably made by Greeks, and the laying of the pavement itself, which may have been the work of local craftsmen

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Greeks · Mosaic · Style (visual arts · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical and Architectural Studies · History